13 Agriculture Business Ideas in Gambia

Are you interested in starting a business in the agriculture industry but you have no idea to consider? Then no worries as we have already identified 13 business ideas you could start in agriculture sector.

Agriculture is the most important sector in most developing economy and one of the priority areas of development, particularly in the new global climate of price escalation of staple food items. This sector produces the basic source of food and happens to be one of the oldest professions of mankind.

For those who are interested in agriculture business; it is important to note that the major issue in agribusiness is not about money to start but your time and commitment to succeed in this business.

Business Ideas in Gambia – Agriculture

1. Setup a Small Poultry Farm

The demand for poultry products is high in The Gambia and the government recognised the pivotal role the poultry farmers contribute to the development of the economy. This is a business you could start from one room with 20 chicks. It is generally recommended that you start poultry farm on a small-scale except when you have the know-how and the financial muscle. You can study about poultry business in Gambia by contacting EMPAS in Farato.

2. Livestock Farm

Livestock sub-sector in The Gambia contributes about 29.6% to the Agriculture GDP and 8.6% to the national GDP. It is constitute an important source of food as well as store of wealth for many household in The Gambia.

The sector sometime faces shortage of supplies ( e.g ram) particularly during the Muslim festival, locally knowns as “Tobaski”. This higher demand compared to the supply results into price increase as well as the need to import from the sub-region. If you produce locally, you can expect to enjoy the support of development partners which will lead to lower cost of input.

3. Livestock Feed Production

As people move into livestock farming a smart investor will think about producing feed for these animals. However, you must perform some research possibly through an expert for you to develop a product that is rich in nutrients and would promote quick growth and good health of the animals.

To start a livestock feed production business, you will need a grinding machine, mixing machine, weighing machine, branded packing bags and raw materials for the production. The common raw materials includes maize, soya beans, fish bone, sorghum, groundnut, wheat, rice shaft etc. All these can be sourced from the local market.

4. Local Drinks or Juice

A lot of villagers (including me) has come to the city and but still love to take local drinks. Well, local drinks are generally healthy compared to the carbonated drinks. If it is well prepared and packaged, you can start making money by selling juice such as baobab juice to restaurants in the city. Homemade jams are also becoming more popular and, with that the opportunities of making a fortune have increased too.

5. Upcountry trading of Agriculture Outputs

As a trader you will buy agriculture products from the producers and sell it consumers. You travel to upcountry, buy some finished agricultural products (e.g rice, groundnut, millet etc) and sell them in the city. Or go to the city, buy agricultural input materials ( seeds, machines etc) and sell them to the farmers. Agricultural trading guarantees good returns on investment. This model could be turn to import and export business.

6. Herb Gardening

There is no better time to start growing herbs as people are now very conscious about healthy foods. You just need a small plot of land and seeds to start a cash-producing herb garden. Herb business do not need great farming expertise as well. Simply plant your garden, grow your herbs and design a branded packages.

7. Flour Milling

You can set up a flour milling business to process grains like wheat, corns, millet and cassava into flour. Buy the grains, process them into flour and sell it at a higher margin. You could also process grains for farmers at a reasonable fee. Either models will generate revenue for your agriculture business.

How many times in a month do you eat bread, cake and other flour products? Then, you know the popularity of flour products in the baking industry.

8. Rice Farm

Rice is still the staple food for majority of household in the Gambia and this trend is not expected to reverse soon. With the possibility of banned on rice importation into Gambia, this sector could offer you a profitable business. There are varieties in town that do not need a major irrigation system and can be harvested with 3-4 months. For example an upland rice, Nerica is not restricted to growing in paddies, thus enabling farmers to grow rice in places not previously thought possible.

Africa’s future millionaires and billionaires will make their money from agriculture as the governments marshal out plans to unlock wealth from the soil. – Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Former Minister of Agriculture (Nigeria)

9. Rice Milling Business

With thousands of rice farmers in CRR, LRR and even WR a mini rice milling machine could be your next profitable food processing business. You need to make sure the business is strategically located to attract enough customers and enjoy a shorter payback period. Trust me, I have worked at Jahally & Pacharr rice field; rice milling is a good small-scale business.

10. Vegetable Farming

Due to their important in a healthy diet, vegetables are one of the highly consumed food items in the world. Household, supermarkets and even hotels are always in demand of fresh vegetable.

With few meters of land, quality seeds, fertilizer and watering system, you can could easily start a vegetable farm.

11. Groundnut Processing

Groundnut is a popular snack that is loved by very many people. Take a trip to a major supermarket and you will see bottled groundnuts branded and packaged in a fanciful way. With as little as D10,000, you can start your own groundnut processing and packaging business. Simply fried the nut and store in a bottle. Of course you need mark it with fancy label including your brand name. You can start it from the comfort of your home and you can still get cheap raw groundnuts from farm markets.

12. Cashew Nut Processing

Cashew nuts can be your key to a profitable agricultural business. Their processing and packaging is similar to groundnut, but cashew nuts are expensive and difficult to get in large quantities. However, you can buy raw cashew nuts in Western Region and start selling them at a reasonable profit.

13. Buy and Lease Agriculture Equipment

Do you know that an average Gambian farmer cannot afford to buy major agricultural equipment like tractor or power tilling machine? Therefore, another smart way you can cater to the ever-growing needs of the agricultural industry is by leasing out agricultural equipment. This way one does not have to directly invest in agriculture business but still benefits from the growing industry by investing in farm equipment. Let look at an example; you could buy a tractor and rent it farmers for ploughing, tilling, leveling or even transportation of their outputs. With definitive gains and little hard work it is definitely one of the most profitable agriculture business ideas for young entrepreneurs.

You can start any of these agricultural business ideas by spending time at the local library, department of state for agriculture or on the internet to learn as much as you can. We will also provide more details on some of these ideas and if you don’t want miss these articles, then subscribe now.

What are your reaction to these agriculture business ideas or do you have one to share with us? The comment box is for you.

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Hi Harry,
Whiles the livestock sector is slowly growing, the country does not have enough to export. For example during the Muslim festivals, the price of ram and goat usually goes up due to short supply. In fact some people imports during this period. Let me know if you require any more clarification.
EBS

You are always welcome Harry. Both sectors are in the top priority areas of the country. If you need to do some offsite due diligence, I can link you to the Gambia Investment & Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA).

Rice and other grains are fast moving crops in The Gambia. If you have acess to land, you could even farm Nerica during rainy season. Other crops includes vegetable, however they are perishable. Cashew nut is cash crop but also long term. So simply grow a crop which the market will buy fast.

You can do business on vegetable as a producer or trader. Produce will grow the vegs and sell it. In that you will need land, seeds, access water.
A trader buys from producers and resell to consumer. For example buy vegs in Sukuta and sell them in Serrekunda. The critical issue of all is differentiation. You need to develop a brand.

Eat what we grow and grow what we eat the real truth….love agriculture already got a banana garden n loving it at times I sell, give away for free as charity at times enjoy the fruits with my family and friends….love the nature n lets go back to the land….one love Gambia…for the Gambia we are forever true

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My Name is Ebrima. I write about personal finance, small business and The Gambia to support young people. I also share articles about personal growth and success. Feel free to drop a message or download my free eBooks - HERE
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